What to Expect from your Startup IT Consultant

What to Expect from your Startup IT Consultant

By Blog No Baap   12:31   No comments:

As a startup, it is often a daunting task to keep up with all the operational, financial and management tasks. So, when you hire an IT partner you definitely want to make a good bargain. This write-up is all about choosing the right Startup consulting services to complement your business.

Experience

Undoubtedly experience is the most important factor. You don’t want to invest your precious cash reserves in the wrong place. Depending on the nature of your business, you would have to screen through various startup business solutions that software service providers offer and find one that suits your requirements. For example if your company sells products that are relevant to HRMS solutions, you would have to find Startup consulting services that are experienced in HRM solutions and have worked on various HRMS suites before. Or if you require a partner to look after the software requirements of your business, you have to ensure the service provider has an in-house team of hardware and software experts relevant to your IT requirements.

Solutions that encourage adaption

Getting people in your organization to accept and adapt to an IT project that changes their routine is not easy. Your IT partner should be able to create solutions that have a short learning curve, is easy to adapt and encourages employees to use and exploit the new system. This is possible only if your partner understands and shares the visions and culture your company upholds.

Keep up with the changing trends

As is true for any business, there is never a standstill, you have to improvise and accept the latest changes in your field and technology. An efficient Startup IT consultant would be able to keep himself updated and would be able to implement the latest in technology to create innovative solutions that fit the glove for your business. Invest in a reliable partner who would be able to keep you posted on the latest trends and ideas. They would be able to incorporate these changes easily and quickly.

Help regulate the workflow

When you hire startup business solutions to streamline the workflow at your business, you have to ensure that they have a structured implementation methodology. A systematic framework that has been developed after years of experience make it easier for a smooth transition to any new processes and smooth functioning of day-to-day activities. This makes it easier to capture business and operation sensitive data and make well informed decisions.

A certified technology partner

Choosing a Startup IT consultant who is certified in the various technologies that you require would ensure quality solutions that are reliable. Certified software professionals would be well-versed in implementing even complex requirements in the most flexible manner that makes it easier to scale and upgrade as the situation demands. Usually certification requirements, require the software service provider to fulfill certain criteria that touches upon turnover, quality of work, client satisfaction and many more.

Focus on Long-term relationship

These partnerships have to be formed with a long-term vision in mind. You would obviously expect your software solutions to grow along with your business. Hence, it is important to select a dedicated startup consulting service that is both reliable and efficient. Also consider factors such as implementing global projects, global expansions, etc. and see where your service provider stands.

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Harnessing heat to power computers

Harnessing heat to power computers

By Blog No Baap   09:47   No comments:

Engineers devise thermal diode that allows computing at ultra-high temperatures

One of the biggest problems with computers, dating to the invention of the first one, has been finding ways to keep them cool so that they don't overheat or shut down.

Instead of combating the heat, two University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineers have embraced it as an alternative energy source that would allow computing at ultra-high temperatures.

Sidy Ndao, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, said his research group's development of a nano-thermal-mechanical device, or thermal diode, came after flipping around the question of how to better cool computers.

"If you think about it, whatever you do with electricity you should (also) be able to do with heat, because they are similar in many ways," Ndao said. "In principle, they are both energy carriers. If you could control heat, you could use it to do computing and avoid the problem of overheating."

A paper Ndao co-authored with Mahmoud Elzouka, a graduate student in mechanical and materials engineering, was published in the March edition of Scientific Reports. In it, they documented their device working in temperatures that approached 630 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ndao said he expects the device could eventually work in heat as extreme as 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit, which could have major implications in many industries.

"We are basically creating a thermal computer," Ndao said. "It could be used in space exploration, for exploring the core of the earth, for oil drilling, (for) many applications. It could allow us to do calculations and process data in real time in places where we haven't been able to do so before."

By taking advantage of an energy source that has long been overlooked, Ndao said, the thermal diode could also help limit the amount of energy that gets wasted.

"It is said now that nearly 60 percent of the energy produced for consumption in the United States is wasted in heat," Ndao said. "If you could harness this heat and use it for energy in these devices, you could obviously cut down on waste and the cost of energy."

The next step is making the device more efficient and making a physical computer that could work in the highest of temperatures, Ndao said.

Though the researchers have filed for a patent, Elzouka said there is still work to be done to improve the diode and its performance.

"If we can achieve high efficiency, show that we can do computations and run a logic system experimentally, then we can have a proof-of-concept," Elzouka said. "(That) is when we can think about the future."

Yet Ndao has even bigger ambitions for his group's research.

"We want to to create the world's first thermal computer," he said. "Hopefully one day, it will be used to unlock the mysteries of outer space, explore and harvest our own planet's deep-beneath-the-surface geology, and harness waste heat for more efficient-energy utilization."

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NEW PASSPORT RULES, YOU NEED TO KNOW

NEW PASSPORT RULES, YOU NEED TO KNOW

By Unknown   08:56   No comments:

Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs declared new rules for applying for a passport. And here we have rounded up some of the major changes that these new rules have bought in.

• DOCUMENTATION FOR PROOF OF BIRTH

As per old rules, submission of a birth certificate was compulsory for all applicants born on or after 26th January 1989. But the new rules have bought in some relaxation in this regards. Now, any of the following documents containing the Date of Birth (DOB) of the applicant will suffice:

• Birth Certificate (BC) issued by the Registrar of births and deaths or the Municipal Corporation or any other approved authority to register the birth of a child born in India
• Transfer/school leaving/matriculation certificate issued by the school last attended/recognized educational board
• PAN card
• Aadhar card/E-aadhar
• The copy of the service record of the applicant’s (of govt. servants) or the pay pension order (of retired govt. employees), duly attested/in-charge of the administration of the concerned ministry/certified by the officer/ department of the applicant
• Driving license
• Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India
• A copy of policy bond issued by the public life insurance companies

• DETAILS OF PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN:

In a welcome move, the new passport rules has done away with the mandate requiring names of both parents at the time of application. An applicant now only needs to provide the name of either one of the parents or the legal guardian. This makes it easier for children with single parents or orphans to apply for a passport. For spiritually oriented people like Sadhus/Sanyasis, there have provisions made for them to mention the name of their spiritual leader in place of their biological parents.

• ANNEXES

The total number of annexes has been reduced from 15 to 9. Annexes A, C, D, E, J, and K have been eliminated and some of them have also been merged. Lesser annexes means less worry for people to collate documentation.

• ATTESTATION

While all annexes needed attestation from a Notary/Executive Magistrate/First Class Judicial Magistrate previously, henceforth all these annexes can now be in the form of a self-declaration from the applicant on plain paper. This means no running around for attestation that one had to do previously.

• MARRIED/DIVORCED PERSONS:

The need for a marriage certificate has been discontinued (along with annexure K). Also, in case of a divorce the applicant will not be required to provide the name of their spouse. This is another interesting change that has been made taking into consideration changing societal norms.

• WORK RELATED URGENT PASSPORTS:
  In case of urgent passports, if a government employee is not able to procure the NOC (no objection certificate) or identity certificate from their employer’s side, they can submit a self-declaration stating that they have given a prior intimation letter to their employer informing that they are applying for an ordinary passport to a passport issuing authority.

To view the press release from the Ministry of External Affairs with regards to the new passport rules, you can visit their website to gain detailed information.

Overall, this move is set to make the application process easier and hassle-free for everyone. A welcome move, we say!

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ચીનનું એલાન - 19 ઓગસ્ટના રોજ કરશે ભારત પર હુમલો... !!

ચીનનું એલાન - 19 ઓગસ્ટના રોજ કરશે ભારત પર હુમલો... !!

By Blog No Baap   18:13   No comments:

ભારત ચીનનો વિવાદ હવે તેમની ચરમ સીમા પર પહોંચી ગયો છે. ચીની વિશેષજ્ઞોએ કહ્યુ કે ચીન ડૉકલામમાં ચીન અને ભારત વચ્ચે ચાલી રહેલ સૈન્ય ગતિવિધિને ખૂબ લાંબા સમય સુધી રહેવાની મંજુરી નથી આપતુ.. અને બે અઠવાડિયાની અંદર ભારતીય સૈનિકોને કાઢવા માટે નાની મોટી સૈન્ય કાર્યવાહી કરશે.

ઉલ્લેખનીય છે કે ચીનની ચેતાવની આ બે અઠવાડિયા આજથી ઠીક 19 ઓગસ્ટના રોજ થઈ રહ્યા છે. ચીની વિશેષજ્ઞોએ કહ્યુ કે છેલલ 24 કલાકની અંદર છ મંત્રાલયો અને સંસ્થાનોએ આ ઘટના પર ટિપ્પણી કરી છે.

ઉલ્લેખનીય છેકે ગુરૂવારથી શુક્રવાર સુધી ચીનના વિદેશ મંત્રાલય રક્ષા મંત્રાલય ભારતમાં ચીની દૂતાવાસ અને પીપુલ્સ ડેલી સહિત બે મંત્રાલયો અને ચાર સંસ્થાનોએ ડોકલામ, તિબ્બત સ્વાયત્ત ક્ષેત્રમાં ચીન અને ભારત વચ્ચે સૈન્ય ગતિરોધ પર પોતાની ટિપ્પણી રજુ કરી.

ચીનની સરકારી વેબસાઈટ ગ્લોબલ ટાઈમ્સ મુજબ તેમણે પોતાની ટિપ્પણીમાં કહ્યુ કે આ વિવાદ લગભગ બે મહિનાથી સતત ચાલી રહ્યો છે અને અત્યાર સુધી આ વિવાદનો કોઈ અંત દેખાય રહ્યો નથી.

રક્ષા મંત્રાલયના પ્રવક્તા રેન ગુઓકિઆંગે ગુરૂવારે ચીનની સરકારી વેબસાઈટ ગ્લોબલ ટાઈમ્સમાં એક પોસ્ટમાં કહ્યુ હતુ કે જો ભારત સાચે જ શાંતિ ઈચ્છે છે તો ભારતે ડોકલામથી તરત પોતાના સૈનિકોને પરત બોલાવી લેવા જોઈએ.

આ પહેલા શંઘાઈ અકાદમીના શોધકર્તા હૂ ઝીયઆંગે કહ્યુ હતુ કે ચીની સૈનિક ખૂબ લાંબા સમય સુધી ભારતીય સૈનિકોની ઘુસપેઠને સહન નહી કરે.. જો ભારત પોતાના સૈનિકોને પરત લેવાની ના પાડશે તો ચીન બે અઠવાડિયાની અંદર એક નાના પાયા પર સૈન્ય અભિયાન ચલાવી શકે છે.

હૂ એ કહ્યુ કે સૈન્ય કાર્યવાહીનુ લક્ષ્‍ય ચીની અધિકારીઓમાં ગેરકાયદેસર રૂપે ભારતીય ક્ષેત્રને જપ્ત કરવાનુ કે તેમને રદ્દ કરવાનુ રહેશે. ચીની પક્ષ પોતાના ઓપરેશન પહેલા ભારતીય વિદેશ મંત્રાલયને આની સૂચના આપશે.

ચીન સેંટ્રલ ટેલીવિઝને શુક્રવારે જણાવ્યુ કે અમારા સીસીટીવી ફુટેજમાં એ સ્પષ્ટ દેખાય રહ્યુ છે કે તિબ્બતમાં તાજેતરના દિવસોમાં લાઈવ ફાયર અભ્યાસ આયોજીત કરવામાં આવ્યો હતો. આ પ્રેકટિસ સવારે 4 વાગ્યે શરૂ થઈ હત ઈ અને તિબ્બતી સૈનિકોનુ એક સમૂહે ઝડપથી જમીનમાં બોમ્બ ડાંટી રહ્યા હતા...

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Northern hemisphere sees in early spring due to global warming

Northern hemisphere sees in early spring due to global warming

By Blog No Baap   12:56   No comments:

Spring is sprung 26 days earlier than a decade ago, causing problems for the natural cycle of plants and wildlife, Climate News Network reports

Spring is arriving ever earlier in the northern hemisphere. One sedge species in Greenland is springing to growth 26 days earlier than it did a decade ago. And in the US, spring arrived 22 days early this year in Washington DC.

The evidence comes from those silent witnesses, the natural things that respond to climate signals. The relatively new science of phenology – the calendar record of first bud, first flower, first nesting behaviour and first migrant arrivals – has over the last three decades repeatedly confirmed meteorological fears of global warming as a consequence of the combustion of fossil fuels.

Researchers say the evidence from the plant world is consistent with the instrumental record: 2016 was the hottest year ever recorded, and it was the third record-breaking year in succession. Sixteen of the hottest years ever recorded have happened in the 21st century.

The most dramatic changes are observed in the high Arctic, the fastest-warming place on the planet, according to a study in Biology Letters. As the polar sea ice retreats, the growing season gets ever longer and arrives earlier.

The pattern is not consistent: grey willow sticks to its original timetable, and dwarf birch growth has advanced about five days earlier for each decade. But the sedge, almost four weeks ahead of its timetable in a decade, holds the record, according to a study that observed one plot at a field site in west Greenland, 150 miles inland, for 12 years.

“When we started studying this, I never would have imagined we’d be talking about a 26-day per decade rate of advance,” says Eric Post, a polar ecologist at the University of California, Davis, department of wildlife, fish and conservation biology, who has been studying the Arctic for 27 years. “That’s almost an entire growing season. That’s an eye-opening rate of change.”

Caribou come to the study site during the calving season, to graze on the rich plant life of the brief Arctic summer. The caribou set their migration calendar by day-length. But some of the plants prefer to respond to temperature, which means that by the time the caribou arrive, the plants have flourished and the pickings are not as nutritious. So fewer calves are born and more die.

“That’s one example of the consequences of this for consumer species like caribou, who have a limited window to build up resources before going into the next winter,” Post says. “With the most recent study, we’re taking a step towards understanding how extensive and cryptic the effects of sea ice loss might be in the Arctic.”

Further south, spring keeps on springing, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), which has just published a new set of maps based on phenological observations.

And, once again, an early spring doesn’t mean a sunnier, kinder world for everybody. Ticks and mosquitoes become more active, pollen seasons last longer. Crops could flourish or be at risk from a sudden late frost or summer drought.

Plants could bloom before the arrival of the birds, bees and butterflies that feed on and pollinate the flowers, with consequences for both the plant and the pollinator.

“While these earlier springs might not seem like a big deal – and who among us doesn’t appreciate a balmy day or a break in dreary winter weather – they pose significant challenges for planning and managing important issues that affect our economy and our society,” says one of the authors of the report, Dr Jake Weltzin, a USGS ecologist and national director of the USA National Phenology Network.

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Thousands of pollution deaths worldwide linked to western consumers – Study

Thousands of pollution deaths worldwide linked to western consumers – Study

By Blog No Baap   12:54   No comments:

Study shows extent to which US and western European demand for clothes, toys and mobile phones contributes to air pollution in developing countries

Western consumers who buy cheap imported toys, clothes and mobile phones are indirectly contributing to tens of thousands of pollution-related deaths in the countries where the goods are produced, according to a landmark study.

Nearly 3.5 million people die prematurely each year due to air pollution, the research estimates, and about 22% of these deaths are associated with goods and services that were produced in one region for consumption in another.

The analysis provides the first detailed picture of the extent to which consumer demand in the US and western Europe contributes to pollution in developing countries, with profound health consequences.

“If the cost of imported products is lower because of less stringent air pollution controls in the regions where they are produced, then the consumer savings may come at the expense of lives lost elsewhere,” the authors conclude.

The study also reveals how emissions from industrial hotspots affect the health of people in neighbouring countries and, to a lesser extent, more distant regions, as pollutants circulate on global air currents. About 12% (411,100) of early deaths globally were related to air pollutants emitted in a different region of the world, the research found.

The study focused on the emission of fine particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5) from power stations, factories, aeroplanes and shipping in 13 regions, taking in data from 228 countries. Particulates are thought to account for more than 90% of the global mortality from outdoor air pollution, raising the number of deaths from heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and asthma.

The tiny particles can trigger asthma attacks in the lungs and can cross from the air sacs in the lung into the bloodstream, where they can cause inflammation, alter the way blood clots, and make blood vessels more permeable. Particulates have also been shown to migrate into other tissues, such as the liver, kidneys and brain, although it is less clear what the health consequences are in these organs, and the effects also depend on the chemical makeup of the particulates.

“In general, air pollution links to general ill health,” said Matthew Loxham, a toxicologist at Southampton University who was not involved in the study. “It’s a range of different conditions.”

The scientists used a combination of air pollution data, emissions measurements and models of global air currents to tally up where pollution was emitted and where it ended up in 2007. An economic model, based on data from the Global Trade Analysis Project, was then used to attribute air pollution to the demand of consumers for finished goods, although the results were not broken down by product type.

Chinese emissions caused more than twice the number of deaths worldwide than the emissions of any other region, followed by emissions produced in India and the rest of the Asia region. The scientists calculated that PM 2.5 pollution produced in China is linked to more than 64,800 premature deaths in other regions, including more than 3,000 deaths in western Europe and the US.

However, this figure was significantly outweighed by the 108,600 premature deaths in China linked to consumption in western Europe and the US.

Steven Davis, a co-author based at the University of California, Irvine, said that the paper simply aimed to lay out the evidence for the benefit of policymakers. “It’s not really up to us to say what’s fair or not,” he said.

In a press briefing this week, his co-authors called for international action on the issue.

“For greenhouse gas emissions we have a global agreement. People can argue about whether its been effective or not – but at least we have a global framework,” said Dabo Guan, a professor in climate change economics at the University of East Anglia and the paper’s senior author. “People have thought air pollution was a local issue.”

Guan cites the example of mobile phones made in China, which might be sold for $200, around 70% of which goes to the company that designed the product and just $5-6 to the Chinese manufacturer.

Improving pollution control technologies in China, India and elsewhere in Asia would have a disproportionately large health benefit in those regions and worldwide, according to the analysis in the journal Nature.

Qiang Zhang, another author from Tsinghua University, Beijing, said that consumers in Europe and the US who buy cheap imported toys and clothes also bear a responsibility.

“We need to move our lifestyles away from cheap and wasteful,” he said.

Oliver Hayes, a pollution campaigner for Friends of the Earth air pollution, said: “No-one should be denied the right to breathe clean air, whether they live in Beijing or Barking. But air pollution doesn’t recognise borders, and it’s clear that the devastating impacts of polluters can be felt many miles from their activities.

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